Car Review: 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS550

Style icon gets a facelift

By Brian Harper, Canwest News Service

Originally published: August 10, 2011

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MEDIUM

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Incomprehensible as it may be, I have actually heard people express the opinion that the Mercedes’ CLS is not one of the most striking four-doors around. Poor misguided fools.

The world’s first four-door coupe–at least according to Mercedes –is nothing less than a stylistic tour de force, a brilliant blending of coupe and sedan forms. And I have no less an authority than Mom to back me up. On an afternoon drive to see the fall colours, she not only gave her approval to the smooth, tapered roofline, she declared the CLS550 to be a most comfortable ride. “Lovely,” I believe was her word.

The happiness of an octogenarian is not something to be taken lightly, let me tell you. Though the sleek profile of the CLS-Class suggests a fast and agile car, it is more of a cruiser in 550 trim, extremely adept at eating up kilometres of road for hours on end while its passengers reside in fatigue-banishing comfort. Mom particularly liked the ergonomically shaped seats, which can be heated and are equipped with 10-way power adjustment. Once the bucket was dialled in, she was as content as when watching Oprah from her couch. Personally, I thought it was the AirMatic DC air suspension and its Adaptive Damping System, the latter allowing a choice of three progressively stiffer shocks — Comfort, Sport 1 and Sport 2 (I thought the middle setting best for overall use).

Those who admire the CLS will recognize a number of detail changes for the facelifted 2009 model. Up front, the sleek new nose gets a two-bar grille — replacing the original four-bar design — with upper and lower mesh finished in a grey tone. Larger outside mirrors feature built-in arrow-shaped turn signals, and new dual five-spoke 18-inch wheels update the car’s stance. At the back, a new rear bumper with trapezoidal dual exhaust pipes and arrow-shaped LED tail lights updates the look.

For 2009, the CLS line includes the CLS550, powered by a 382-horsepower, 5.5-litre DOHC V8, and the hairier, high-performance CLS63 AMG, fitted with a potent 6.2L V8 that produces 507 hp and 465 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are mated to seven-speed automatic transmissions, silky smooth in operation, with imperceptible shifting between the gears.

Although no match for the AMG, the 550 is far from being a slowpoke. Hammer it and the coupe will respond with a 5.4-second, zero-to-100-kilometres-an-hour time on the clock. But, as previously mentioned, its forte is as a long-distance cruiser. This is confirmed by steering that is too heavy for true sporting about on twisty bits, with an artificial feel that doesn’t respond well to quick driver inputs. It’s truly the only negative aspect to the CLS’s driving and handling dynamics — the brakes are typical Mercedes in that the rotors are large and the stopping action is superhero-like.

Not that it needs the extra bling, but the coupe was dressed up with the $4,500 AMG Sport Package, which includes 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, performance rubber, front and rear aprons, side skirts and steering wheel shift paddles. I like to think of it as the sheep-in-wolf’s-clothing package.

I wasn’t expecting outstanding fuel economy from the V8-powered, 1,825-kilogram 550 –and I didn’t get it, either. Despite a fairly mild foot, especially with Mom in the shotgun seat, I averaged only 14.9 litres of premium unleaded per 100 kilometres for the week.

There are compromises to having a car as uber-stylish as the CLS. While front-seat occupants are treated to an upscale, wood-and-leather-bedecked cabin that is as roomy and reminiscent of a high-buck power boat, the back-seat riders have to deal with the limitations of the coupe’s curved roof. Tall passengers are not going to like it back there. After setting the front seat for my 6-foot-2 frame, I popped into the rear seat only to find my knees firmly into the seat back and my head jammed into the liner at a somewhat odd angle. Teenagers, with their natural tendency to slump, would likely find comfort. At least they get to play with their own digital control panel for temperature and air flow settings.

As much as the word “icon” is overused, I think the CLS is one, at least from a styling standpoint. If nothing else — and its list of attributes is a long one– the CLS coupe has caused other auto designers to pen their own appealing four-door coupes. I know, because I just drove Volkswagen’s new Passat CC and BMW’s X6 Sports Activity Coupe. Imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery.